Combination couplim foe steam pipes of kail way oars



(No Model.) 2 Sheets.--;Sh.eet 1 T W; MORAN. COMBINATION COUPLING FOE STEAM PIPES 0F RAILWAY CARS;

No. 501,465. Patented July 11, 1893..

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. W. MORAN.

COMBINATION COUPLING FOR STEAM PIPES OI RAILWAY CARS.

No. 501,465. Parizented July 11, 1893.

v. 7 r 1 Ir UNITED STATES ATE T OFFICE.

THOMAS WILLIAM MORAN, O LOUISVILLE, KENTUOKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE MORAN FLEXIBLE STEAM JOINT COMPANY, OF-SAME PLAOE.

COMBINATION COUPLING FOR STEAM-PIPES OF RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart er Letters Patent Ne. 501,465, dated July 11,1893.

Application filed November 26. 1892- Serial No. 453,246.

on model.) Patented in England January 4, 1892, No. 151; in

France Tannery 14. 1892, No. 218,675; in Belgium January 14, 1892, No. 97,925, and in Germany January 14, 1892,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS WILLIAM Mo'- RAN, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling Apparatus for Steam-Pipes of Railway-Cars, (for which Ihave obtained patents as follows: in Great Britain, No. 151-, dated January 4, 1892;

in France, No. 218,675, dated January 14,1892; in Belgium, No. 97,925, dated January 14, 1892, and in Germany, No. 65,277, dated January 14, 1892;) and 1 do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the I 5 invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of the coupling. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal' sectional view of one section. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 10 to Fig. 2.

Fig 4 is an enlarged View in section of the elbow joint, and Fig. 5 is a plan View in detail of the trap.

This invention has relation to a system of couplings for steam heating pipes of railway cars, and it consists in the novel construction and combination of parts as hereinafter specified.

In carrying out my invention, I provide the ends of the train pipe of each car with a relief valve A, secured to the car frame by means of a brace or bracket A secured between arms a, a, on the relief valve casing. This relief valve is preferably of the construction fully described and claimed by me in an applio cation filed by me November 26, 1892, Serial In a downwardly projecting elbow B of each relief valve casing I connect the screwthreaded upper end of a pipe section 0, on the lower end of which is a hollow ball or sphere 0' working loosely in a socket D on the upper end of a section D and held by an annular ring E having an inner spherically beveled surface fitting said ball section steam tight, and having'an internal screw-threaded connection with said socket section. Said socket section also has a spherically beveled interior portion fitting the ball section steam tight, the parts being'so arranged as to permit a universal movement, and yet maintain a perfectly steam tight joint under steam or vacuum pressure.

The upper section of the ball carrying section 0 has a wrench seat 0, in which is formed a series ofvertical grooves, or aseries of projections d which are engaged by pins or bolts 61' carried by the elbow portion B, thereby preventing the parts from. unscrewing. The lower end of the section D carriesahollow ball or sphere F, similar to the ball 0 of 65 the section 0, and which has auniversal movement in a socket and ring F, similar to the socket D and ring E above described. This socket F is formed in the upper end of'an angle Or elbow joint G, having a threaded 7o socket g at the opposite end to receive the end of the horizontal pipe section II.

In the lower or angular portion of thejoint G is a small trap 'K. This trap comprises the ball is serving as a valve, closing the opening 10, when pressure is in the pipes. When however the pressure is cut off, the ball is lifted from its seat by the action of a spring h, thus permitting the escape of the water of con densation through the aperture 70. It will be understood that each car is provided with the .arrangement above described, the horizontal pipe sections of any two cars H, at their meeting ends, having each a coupling P. This coupling is preferably the piston coupling described and claimed by me in my application, tiled November 26, 1892, Serial No. 453,244. To the latch of each coupling of this section is connected one end of a slack or tripping chain N, the opposite ends of which are con- 9 nected to the respective relief valve casings. This connection may be made with an eye p on the lower end of the pin or bolt 19 which secures the bracket or brace A to the relief valve. The coupling P should be located directly under the coupling of the cars. By the combination of parts as above described, a flexible coupling between cars is provided, which will adapt itself to all positions of the cars, and the various joints of which are perfectly steam tight under pressure, but which will permit the escape of all water of condensation when the pressure is 01?. By the provision of the relief valves, unnecessary pressure in the pipes is prevented when the valves are closed. Said relief valves may be provided with a secondary joint or elbow, by the provision of which it is possible to eHect a coupling with a car fitted with a different style of coupling, as described in the application, Serial No. 453,245, above referred to.

The arrangement of the slack or tripping chains shown, renders the uncoupling entirely automatic.

Having described this invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is

1. The herein described coupling for steam pipes between adjacent railway cars, said coupling comprising a relief valve A, connected to the train pipe of each car, vertical pipe sections connected at their upper ends one to each of said relief valves, a hollow spherical ball 0 on the lower portion of each of said sections 0, the vertical sections D,

having spherical sockets D in which said balls C have universal bearings, the: annular rings E securing said balls in said sockets, a 1101-. low ball or sphere in the lower portion of 2 comprising a relief valve A connected to the train pipe of each car, the vertical pipe sections 0 having each a threaded connection at its upper end with one of said relief valves, a hollow spherical ball 0 on the lower end of each section 0, the vertical sections D having spherical sockets D in which said balls 0 have loose bearings, the annular rings E securing said balls in said sockets, a hollow ball or sphere F on the lower end of each section ,-D', the angular sections G having a Socket and ring F in which works the ball F, the traps in said angular sections, the horizontal pipe sections H connected at one end to: the

' respective sections G, the interlocking couplings on the meeting ends of said sections H, and the tripping chains for said coupling,

I substantially'as specified.

In testimony whereof I aifix; my signature in presence of two witnesses. THOS, WILLIAM MORAN.

Witnesses:

O, Q, MARTIN,

ORTON T. MORAN. 

